September 07, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

Rarin' to go

by Rick Eymer

Stanford football players are so anxious to get the season started that most of them came into the locker room on Monday on their first day off in a long while.

The final countdown got underway this week as the Cardinal put the finishing touches on preparations for its first game under coach Walt Harris on Saturday at the U.S. Naval Academy at 3 p.m.

"People are riled up," Stanford senior defensive end Julian Jenkins said. "We're ready to go. You can do a million things on your day off but everybody is in the locker room just hanging around."

Harris' debut is the most anticipated since Tyrone Willingham took the field for the first time as a head coach in 1995, though for different reasons. Willingham took over from Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh with little expectations and proceeded to take Stanford to bowl games in his first two years.

Harris, an established winner, assumes command from Buddy Teevens with high expectations. Harris was brought aboard to reverse three consecutive losing seasons.

Teevens was the first Stanford coach with three straight sub .500 years since Jack Curtice directed the Cardinal (then known as the politically incorrect Indians) to four straight losing seasons between 1958-61. And even Curtice was given a chance in 1962, when his team went 5-5, before passing the reigns to John Ralston. Teevens became Stanford's first coach never to produce at least one winning season.

"We're going to get it done," senior center Brian Head said. "There's a firm belief in what the coaches are doing and how they are going about it."

Harris is walking into the situation with his eyes open wide.

"I don't know how we'll play in a loud atmosphere," he said. "When adversity hits how will we respond? Navy is a successful team and they have a game under their belts. We're a new program and haven't started yet. That will make it a little harder."

Stanford enters the year with more questions than answers, though that's as much a blessing as a curse. How will the Cardinal respond to the challenges of a different training approach and a different system? Has redshirt junior quarterback Trent Edwards been able to pick up the complicated schemes and will he be able to make the right choices?

"The mystery remains how well we perform under pressure," Head said. "How will we adapt when it's game time and the lights are on? I do know that above all you're going to see the best effort Stanford has ever given. You're going to see great performances from players who have under performed. People might be impressed once in awhile."

With all five starters on the offensive line -- redshirt freshman Alex Fletcher has moved ahead of two-year senior starter Ismail Simpson at right guard, returning, the pressure is on that group to give Edwards and company the chance to produce with a diverse, balanced attack.

"There are days when the offensive line looks like they are putting it together," Harris said. "We have top get healthy and practice together as a unit but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. They are starting to respond, and we have to grow up fast in that area. In our final scrimmage I saw more consistency out of them. The fullback and tight end are also part of that group and there's positive movement."

Head is surrounded by Fletcher, senior guard Josiah Vinson, and senior tackles Jeff Edwards and Jon Cochran. Junior Nick Frank, a converted nose tackle, will start at fullback, with senior Matt Traverso at tight end.

"The offensive line has been the deficit of the team since I've been here," Head said. "This year coach (Tom) Freeman has given us confidence and the aggressiveness to take pride and accountability."

Jenkins said there would also be a noticeable difference on defense.

"We're going to be able to attack the quarterback a lot better," he said. "We'll do a lot more attacking, a lot more stunts, especially in the pass rush. I think defensively we are going to be very good this year. People don't expect one thing from our offense but that just gives us a chance to show what we can do. We're 10th in the Pac-10? That just feeds the fire and the desire to take the field."

Senior defensive end Casey Carroll was lost for the season after knee surgery, pushing sophomore Gustav Rydsted, a native of Stockholm who was a foreign exchange student in Mississippi, into the starting role.

"Casey Carroll was our greatest defensive player," Jenkins said. "You can't replace him but Gustav will do a great job trying. He's a tough kid; disciplined."

Sophomore Anthony Kimble was moved to running back from wide receiver during spring practice and has won the starting job.

"It's a challenge at Stanford to come up with legitimate runners who can make you miss, run over you, and make long plays," Harris said. "We decided to give him a look and he's earned the starting job because of his work ethic and his responsiveness on the practice field."

Stanford's first test is against an option-oriented offense, which makes preparation all the more difficult.

"It's a different offense than we've ever faced since I've been here," Jenkins said. It's fast and you have to be disciplined in your reads and steps."

Stanford leaves for Annapolis in time to practice on Thursday, a day earlier than normal.

"When I finally get to the game I'm sure I'll get into the groove," Harris said. "Right now there are so many details just to get on a plane and have a good Friday study session from Thursday practice."

NOTES: Palo Alto High grad Timi Wusu has been bothered by injuries throughout camp and slipped all the way to fourth on the depth chart at outside linebacker. ... Menlo-Atherton High grad T.C. Ostrander begins the season as Edwards' backup at quarterback. ... Kimble, Frank, Fletcher and Rydstedt will all be making their starting debuts against Navy, along with junior cornerback Nick Sanchez and junior outside linebacker Udeme Udofia . . . Stanford is 6-11-1 in season openers since 1987.

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